 |
A City Hall Virtual Tour |
 
|
|
A City Hall Virtual Tour |
|
South Portal
ity Hall's south wing was to be
devoted primarily to the courts, and the South Portal, or Judicial Entrance,
presents an essay on justice and its attributes.
ntering
from the courtyard, we find ourselves in a single height passageway below
the Grand Stair. On both sides of us, arches are guarded by heads of lions
confronting slithering serpents, a reminder of the majesty of justice and
the treachery of crime. Ahead is a keystone of a buffalo, while to our
rear, an owl with books and plumb bob gazes down in an allegorical representation
of Wisdom finding Truth.
assing beneath the buffalo, we
cross a transverse passageway with eastern and western entrances into the
building and the entrance to the Grand Stair, unfortunatly the stair is
closed to the public at this level by a heavy ornamental iron gate. The
next archway opens into the main chamber of the portal, which soars up
three stories to an arched cast iron ceiling.
urning
to our north, we see sandstone block walls resting on their granite base
with intricate patterns carved in them. The Sputnick light fixture,
installed around 1950, was definitly not part of McArthur's original design,
but your eyes can't help being drawn to it. Allegorical statements are
present here too. Over the north arch Blind Justice is depicted
in the keystone, while in the archway behind her, in the vestibule we just
left, Horace Binny stares back at us. A renowned Philadelphia jurist
of the time, Binny is one of only three contemporary figures (William Penn
in the North and Ben Franklin in the East) portrayed in the building's
sculpture.
gain turning to face south Broad street
and the two story main archway, we can see the Law theme in the
face of Moses centered in the arch. But before we leave, look closely
at the medallions just below each column.
This
little vignette of a cat chasing a mouse is probably the building's most
frivolous sculpture - it's meaning is unknown. Perhaps it was meant purly
as an urbanist guesture since the South Portal would now be the terminal
point for the grand prominades so common along South Broad street. It could
also be an obscure law allegory such as the relentlessness of law in persuit
of offenders. It's definitely food for thought as we continue our tour
outside and around the southwest corner of the building to the final grand
entry, THE EAST PORTAL. 
